Conventionally, systems for transmitting voice signals over the Internet commonly include a configurable device for converting analog voice signals into digital signals and transmitting the digital signals. Generally, these devices are connected to a conventional telephone or integrated with the phone to provide a customer with traditional and familiar telephone functionality.
As digital voice networks such as VoIP became more complex, the deployed devices were complemented with management systems to maintain and control aspects of device functions. These management systems sometimes configure the devices to control their operation and allow the customer access to certain configuration parameters related to services. To ensure proper operation of the device, the device preferably operates using the most current configuration. These configurations are often profile-based, where these profiles include parameters controlling various aspects of the device's features, performance, and overall behavior.
FIG. 1 illustrates the operation of a prior art system 100 and method for transferring data between a configurable device 101 and a management system 105. In response to some external event or change, a SIP Proxy server 103 sends a SIP NOTIFY message as a polling request 111 over a network to the configurable device 101. Alternately, a polling request takes the form of a timer event 113. The timer event is generated locally at the configurable device 101 or a remote timer. Upon receiving a polling request, the device 101 polls the management system 105 by sending an HTTP GET request 115 to the management system 105. This request checks for and attempts to receive the most current configuration file for the configurable device 101. Alternatively, the device 101 can wait for a predetermined number of polling requests or detect a particular message within the polling request that triggers it to poll the management system 105. Upon receiving the HTTP GET or similar message, the management system 105 responds by transferring a new configuration file 151 to the device 101, if available, in the HTTP protocol response 117. Communications among the configurable device 101, the SIP proxy server 103, and the management system 105 generally occur over the Internet or other available network connecting the communicating entities.
Occasionally, the configurable device 101 transfers files 153 to the management system 105 using an HTTP POST or PUT operation 119. The files in the HTTP POST or PUT operation 119 include a variety of file types generated by the device such as device log information. Upon receipt of the files 153, the management system 105 sends an acknowledgement message 121 to the configurable device 101 confirming that the files were received, thereby concluding the HTTP POST/PUT operation.
The conventional systems and methods of data transfer among devices 101 and the management system 105 have the disadvantage of requiring many separate communications sessions to be established among the communicating entities. These numerous sessions consume bandwidth and hardware resources. To effectively scale their VoIP and data networks, network operators and service providers are faced with the challenge of maintaining the performance and function of the various remotely deployed devices with a manageable and minimal investment in shared infrastructure.
Accordingly, there is a need in industry for technological solutions providing a more efficient system and method for transferring data between a configurable device and a management system.